TKC1800 V2.0 w/ GMK Deep Space (2020)

TKC1800 from TheKey.Company; custom paint job with Rust-Oleum Hammered Antique Pewter

TKC1800 V2.0 PCB from TheKey.Company

C3 Equalz Screw-in Stabilisers Purple Housing with Black Wire (Lubed)

TKC1800 V2.0 Aluminium Plate from TheKey.Company; custom coloured with paint from Rainbow Paints

Gateron Black Inks - 90g (Flimed, Lubed with Krytox GPL 206g2, and Spring Swapped) from KBDFans (Switches) Daily Clack (Lube/Springs), Kebo (Switch Films)

Rubber Silencing layer from The Warehouse (repurposed Non-slip Drawer Liner)

 

 

GMK Deep Space by Booper from Orginitve Co.

Alien II - Mutant by B'Gnu-Thun

Alien II - Mutant by B'Gnu-Thun

Spoop - Mystic by B'Gnu-Thun

No Man Left Behind – Galaxy by NZCaps

No Man Left Behind by NZ Caps

Shipwrecked – Vapor by NZ Caps

Trooper - Purple x Dark Grey by Hot Keys Project

Raven - Purple x Dark Grey by Hot Keys Project

P@cket-Sniff3r - Thanos by Kacha Keys

 

Detachable Coiled Mini USB cable Norfolk (Purple/Grey) Paracord with Carbon Techflex and Yellow heatshrink from Zap Cables

 

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In space, no one can hear you clack

 

I bought one of these boards a couple of years ago as a pre pained kit, and fell in love. The “compact fullsize” footprint, and retro case design are classic; I had to get another one.

 

The case was made from moulds from come old Cherry G80-1800 by Cherry themselves, and retooled to support the new additions (custom plate, PCB, nameplates). I got one in “light grey/beige, and really wanted to have the look of some rough metal. The layout has everything one could want without having to access function layers, and do any additional programming, the only thing really different between this and the V1.0 boards, is the bottom row. The V2.0 allowed me to have the 6.25u space with 1.25u mods on the left and 1.5u on the right. Outside of that, I opted for the stepped Caps Lock just to further hit home the classic look, and it also serves the purpose of being more defined so I'm less likely to hit it BY ACCIDENT.

 

The switches were a bit of a tough choice for me. I really dig the feel of heavy linear switches, but my all time favourites are tactiles. I opted to try out some of the “new” Gateron Black Inks, which is a bit of a call back to the Cherry Blacks that were in the original G80-1800s. I had come really nice 90g springs kicking around along with some Krytox GPL 206g2 lube (super thick, some describe it like peanut butter), and got to work on the disassembly and lubing. I'd also bought some switch films to give a try as well, the idea being they help tighten up the housing fit, and reduce stem wobble, but they also change the sound profile a bit as well. Once all was said and done, I was left with some of the best linears that I have ever used; smooth as all heck, and (outside of the bottom-out) virtually no sound.

 

The plate was an interesting one for this as well. I originally got it in a purple anodized aluminium. But realised, that with the purple stabs, it might be a little too much. I tried to get the plate changed to a brass one (with no luck), so I figured why not paint it. I wanted to match the yellow seen in the Deep Space colourway, so I took a same to a local paint shop, and they worked some magic. The end result was a kinda mustardy/yolky yellow which ties in with the rest of the board super nicely.

 

The stabs I got were the first run that I had seen of stabs that weren't black or clear; so I went hard and got some nice purple housings with the black wire. They were pre-clipped, so I just threw some silicone grease on to remove any rattle and further add to the smooth typing experience. I went with some yellow LEDs for the indicators, just to break up the colours a little more, and it'll add itself really nicely once the board get painted. I wanted to try out something a little different when it came to silencing the case noises. With it being moulded plastic case, the sound can just bounce around. So I did some research, and decided to try out some rubber non-slip mats. Cut to size, and shaped around the interior of the case, and I think that it adds a nice element to the sound profile. The bottom-outs and returns are slightly dampened, and combine that with the keycaps, gives it a really nice “thock”.

 

Deep Space was a colourway that was originally run in 2014 in the DSA profile. I got into the hobby a good while after this, and had seen several boards floating around with it, and absolutely fell in love with the blue/grey/purple/yellow, and the space themed novelties. After a number of years of keeping my eye open on the used market (and having several opportunities slip through my grasp), I saw an interest check for Deep Space by GMK. At this point, I was sold on the Cherry profile that GMK are known for, and it was just a matter of time. What felt like an age came and went, and I would check the IC page from time to time, just to see if there had been any further developments. Then one day in early 2019, it hit me; BAM! GMK Deep Space live on Originative Co. and it was an instant sell for me. On the artisan front I had been collecting a wee few of these guys after 6 years in the hobby, and once I had the order for the keyset, I just kept my eyes peeled for anything that worked with the colourway. The Alien IIs are ones that have seen a lot of love across my boards, and these guys are no different, the only catch is I mixed and matched parts from several different ones to try and get as close to the matching Deep Space as I could. The Spoop is one of my latest additions, and is sorta themed after the Pokémon Gengar (a purple ghost) and again another sculpt from B'Gnu-Thun. The No Man Left Behind from NZ Caps were some of my first from them, and the quality is fantastic, not to mention the coordination of the colours. Last for that cluster is the Raven and Trooper from Hot Keys Project, these were purely an impulse buy to go with Deep Space, and I really dig both of the sculpts as well (the trooper is based off of Star Lords mask from Guardians of the Galaxy). Rounding out the artisans is the P@cket-Sniff3r Thanos (there's another neat tie in), and I just loved this guy too much, though it did nearly get lost in transit.

 

Once I had bought the keyset, it was a matter of finding the right board for the build. I had an idea as to what I wanted colour-wise on the plate and case, but I still wasn't sold on a board. When I saw that TheKey.Company were doing another run of their TKC1800s it was meant to be. The next hurdle was finding the right paint finish that I was ever so picky about. After a great deal of hunting I settled on the Rust-Oleum Hammered Antique Pewter, and after waiting for a fine enough day, I got my spray on. The end result is what you see here; the thicker you apply the coats of paint, the more exaggerated the effect of the hammered metal.

 

The USB cable is mounted inside the case itself, and will only really be a stand out once the case gets its fresh coat of paint... But as with my other cables from Zap Cables, you can't go wrong here at all; super cool grey/purple paracord, and and the carbon techflex with yellow heatshrink

 

All in all, this board doesn't quite have the “wow” factor that it did before I painted it, but hell is it a thing of beauty. The time and thought that has gone into this more than pays for itself in satisfaction.

 

 

 

Done